ITSM Implementation: Technology Comes Second

By Harry Newman, Technical Consultant, Marval

Having been actively involved in several IT Service Management implementation projects, I have come to the conclusion that most organizations, regardless of their size, industry or scope, face similar challenges with their ITSM projects.

Yes, it’s true... you are not alone there. Whatever troubles you at the moment, it’s very likely that other enterprises have experienced it too. They have either worked a successful way around it, or had to deal with delays and faults with their implementation project.

Therefore, here a few tips on how to avoid some of the common mistakes related to ITSM implementation projects.

Don’t be a thing of the past.

What’s the point of introducing a new ITSM solution unless you are determined to upgrade your service? Be open to the new, whether it’s a new process, a new environment, a new setup for your team or even a new culture. Focus on where you want to go, design your path and avoid any detours that may or may not have worked for you in the past.

Keep it simple.

You can’t go from climbing a hill to conquering Mount Everest directly. You need smaller steps or at least a few stops in between. My advice is to begin with a limited scope and scale up to include more elements. Try to secure a few quick wins, even small ones, before expanding your project further so you can build your business case, communicate and document the positive impact of your project, and hopefully inspire and motivate internal teams to be more receptive.

Focus on your business priorities….Your ITSM project is not about IT. It’s about your organization and its business and operational needs. Your main objective should be not to accommodate your IT, but to empower your business to succeed and grow. Developing and highlighting the connection between your Service Management project and the business strategy helps keep a clear focus on your goal.

…But don’t disregard your environment.

Your environment is not just your IT; it’s a combination of your people, processes and technology. Since your ITSM solution will probably require a new process, this should be designed and implemented around your existing architecting systems (people, processes and technology) to be successful. Think of your current processes, for example: do you need to converge them? This should be done before designing and implementing a new process.

Technology comes second.

Your business (and your people) come first. If you've been in the market for an ITSM tool, you probably have been promised easy-to-fit, perfectly matching solutions. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. In reality, the tool should be adaptable to match your organization's needs, not the other way around. Any new tool will require customization and a solution should be carefully designed to accommodate your needs and integrate the particularities of your current infrastructure. Unless thorough design has taken place, you should expect your implementation stage to be challenging. Very challenging.